Pickin’ Pumpkins

Yesterday we took the kids to the local pumpkin patch. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and they had a great time. We let Ella and Troy each pick a pumpkin. Troy picked his right away; Ella took her time, searching for the smallest pumpkin she could find in the pumpkin patch. Luke slept the entire time. : )

Last year’s pumpkin patch trip

Happy 1 Month Luke!

I always find the one month mark sobering. For me, at least, it feels like it takes each month of pregnancy forever to pass, and then after you have your baby in the world, the first month flies by.

You are a precious little boy! You are strong like your siblings were at this age, holding your head up well and bearing weight on your legs. You are also extremely wiggly, just like you were in the womb. You kicked and moved around so much more than your siblings in the womb! It seems like everyone who holds you comments on how wiggly you are.

You are a content baby, really only fussing if you need something. You are quickly settled when we swaddle you up and turn on some white noise.

Your siblings already love you, and they are great with you. Ella will let you hold her finger and then she tells me that she taught you to hold her hand. Ella and Troy are both greatly concerned about you, and love to help out where they can. Troy is always bringing your pacifier to me to make sure you have it (though you aren’t attached to your pacifier yet). I look forward to watching your relationship grow with your siblings.

 

For more newborn pictures, check out my photography website.

Troy @ one month (I didn’t start writing these monthly posts for Ella until she was 17 months old)

I Heart Faces: Pink

Troy’s 3rd Birthday Interview

Troy is officially three which means it is time for his first birthday interview!

1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? car
3. What is your favorite fruit? Oranges
4. What is your favorite TV show? Team Umizoomi
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Chicken nuggets and Fruit Loops
6. What is your favorite outfit? Tie / tie shirt
7. What is your favorite game? play
8. What is your favorite snack? Fruit Loops
9. What is your favorite animal? Alligator
10. What is your favorite song? Simba song [I want to be a mighty king]
11. What is your favorite book? Little books and number book [They have these “little” board books that they use as bibles and songbooks]
12. Who is your best friend? Karsyn
13. What is your favorite cereal? My cereal
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Share toys
15. What is your favorite drink? Sweet tea
16. What is your favorite holiday? Easter, I want to hunt 
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Mickey Mouse, puppy pillow
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Mickey mouse yogurt
19. What is your favorite thing for dinner? Chicken nuggets
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? a Christian {check this link}
21. What is your favorite movie? Panda [Kung Fu Panda]
22. Where is your favorite place to go? Chick fil a cow
23. What is your favorite Bible story? Zaccheaus
24. What is your favorite memory verse? shall be saved  [Mark 16:16]
25. What is your favorite letter? T

Baby Luke is here!

It is hard to believe that we are officially a family of five now. I’m not sure why (maybe because I didn’t grow up with any brothers?), but it is also hard for me to believe that I have two boys! Ella and Troy have been great with Luke. Luke doesn't know what he is in for yet with those two! :)

My Favorite Baby Gear

As I’m trying to finish up the final preparations for the arrival of my baby boy, I thought I’d post a list of my favorite baby items. This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of everything you need for a baby (in fact, there are things on here you don’t “need”), but rather some of my favorite things. Here’s my list from after Ella was born.

1. Swing. Despite Troy not really loving the swing like Ella did, it is still one of my favorite baby gear items. I will say not all swings are created equal, and I definitely prefer one that can swing in both directions.
2. Boppy. Great for nursing, holding the baby, and propping the baby up. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how well my boppy has held up over time.
3. Swaddling blankets. Our babies have always loved to be swaddled. I really like the Aiden and Anais brand of swaddling blankets (easy for me to swaddle), but my husband prefers smaller blankets (he is the master swaddler too!).
4. Sleep sacks/swaddle sacks. I like these and these (I find each has its advantages and disadvantages).  This follows in line with swaddling. I particularly like to use the sleep sacks at night because it is easier to wrap a baby back up in them after a feeding when you are totally out of it in the middle of the night.
5. Boppy waterproof changing pads. My mom got these for me (something I would have never thought to buy myself), and I really like them. I like to have one in the room I’m in with baby to use as a changing pad, as well as one in our bedroom (for when the baby still sleeps in our room at night). They are also great for their “intended” use as far as laying on top of a changing pad to be rotated out rather than having to change the changing pad cover.
6. Pack and play. Good for lots of things, from using as a bed in our room when the baby is little, to using as a travel bed. We had a Graco one with Ella, and a Baby Trend brand with Troy. The Baby Trend one has held up a lot better.
7. Moby wrap. I love being able to wear my baby, and this is a great option, particularly for when they are little. It can be a little tricky to get the hang of wrapping it, but once I figured it out, it wasn’t hard. I will say it gets warm, and isn’t something I’d use in the summer in Texas.
8. Ergo baby carrier. I did not have this for Ella, but I did for Troy, and I loved it! I only used it once he was bigger, although you can buy an insert to use with it for when the baby is little. By the way, I’ve seen these fairly often on “deal” websites, so if you are in the market for one, you might keep an eye out on those sites to snag a better price.
9. Sound machine. I did not have a sound machine with Ella, but I did with Troy, and it was great. I particularly like the one I linked (we also had a different one, and it was a piece of junk compared to this one).
10. Bath tub seat/ring. I can't find the one I have (it is older), but I really like have a seat for the baby when they are big enough to be in the big tub, but not super sturdy yet.